I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable lighting product. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dual-beam lantern-flashlight having a retractable lantern style handle, a first headlamp source, and a second down light source. The lantern-flashlight can be used with either or both beams in the on position.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Dual-beam flashlights and lanterns, and other multiple light source flashlights and lanterns, are well known in the portable lighting industry. These products sometimes combine “like” lighting sources, such as the Applicant's “Dual-Beam Flashlight”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,430, (hereinafter the '430 flashlight); or U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,644, both of which employ standard incandescent lamps (i.e., “flashlight bulbs”).
Alternately, these products combine different lighting sources, generally one of three types: light emitting diode (“LED”); hot cathode fluorescent lamp (commonly, a 6″ long T5 [0.625″ lamp diameter] bi-pin type lamp; or a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), typically having a 100 mm length. In these various products, the combination of multiple light sources is often for different purposes. In many of these products, the light sources are used one at a time—such as Favor Light's™ Torch (i.e., a an incandescent lamp and CCFL light). With this unit, the user selects “Flashlight” mode for hand-held use, or “CCFL Light” mode for hands-free task lighting—but one cannot operate both lights simultaneously. Another example of this type of dual-beam lighting product is Streamlight's Syclone™ flashlight, which comprises an incandescent primary light source (krypton) for directing light forward and an LED secondary light source, both mounted in the same reflector, for close application lighting such as map-reading.
With other dual-beam lights, such as Rayovac's Workhorse™ dual-beam flashlight (since discontinued), or Zelco's various flashlights and/or flashlight/lanterns (“Kangaroo™ Light”, “Bugless Lantern” and “Mini Fluorescent Lantern”), the user is able to operate both lights simultaneously. The Rayovac workhorse dual-beam flashlight contains no external mechanical operation of the secondary light source (i.e., it is “fixed”). The function of the secondary lights in Zelco's lamps differ somewhat, although all technically are able to operate both as a task light and downlight (e.g., for walking), similar to '430 invention. Other dual-beam lighting products offering simultaneously operable lighting sources follow one or the other of these formats; i.e., secondary light used as downlight/task light (e.g. '430) or secondary light used as alternate primary lamp (e.g., Syclone™ flashlight).
Similar to the style of the Zelco units is Applicant's aforementioned dual beam '430 flashlight. The purpose of this unit's separately and/or simultaneously operable secondary light was primarily as a downlight to illuminate the ground at the user's feet. The headlamp simultaneously illuminated the area in front of the user (out approximately 200+feet). The downlight feature used for the purpose of lighting the area around the feet is particularly useful in areas of rugged and/or dangerous terrain, or in emergency situations such as the aftermath of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. (Other uses for the secondary light include hand-held map-reading, or changing tires with the unit in hands-free or free-standing mode, although the latter particularly was of limited usefulness, due to the small “footprint” of the unit for standing upright.
There are numerous disadvantages of these prior art dual beam flashlights. The incandescent light sources (krypton type) in the forward and downlight were not energy efficient. The result was limited continuous burn (i.e., lights on) time was only 90 minutes for each lighting source.
Incandescent light sources utilizing reflectors to drive the lamp beam forward are excellent for “long beam throw” (distances exceeding 100 feet forward), but are rather poor for close-range illumination. This is because the reflector focuses the beam out to a reasonable distance, but not at short range. In the case of the '430 flashlight, for example, the distance of the secondary light to the ground is usually only 24″ to 36″ (depending on the user's height). The result is a combination of annoying light patterns, shadows and rings. On rugged terrain particularly, its use is fair at best.
The area illuminated by the downlight was of a very small diameter. Thus, the user would only have a maximum 3 to 4 foot range forward illuminated by the downlight. For hiking in areas of dangerous animals, such as in deserts or mountainous regions, such a short range of illumination would be wholly inadequate for safe travel at night.
The combination of two focused incandescent light sources is unable to provide a “blended lighting effect”. That is, there is a dark area (i.e., not illuminated by either or both of the lighting sources) of significant distance between the closest area of the ground illuminated by the headlamp, and that of the downlight.
Incandescent lighting sources have extremely limited “lamp life”. The average life of a typical incandescent lighting source (i.e., incandescent lamp, or “flashlight bulb”) is only 30 to 40 hours. This is due to failure of the lamp filaments, which are deliberately over-heated to create a glow, which in turn heats and illuminates the lamp gases such as krypton, xenon or halogen (unless a vacuum bulb without a gas is employed). Filaments are also susceptible to breakage with shock, such as occurs when a flashlight is accidentally dropped.
There were also functional limitations for hands-free and hand-held uses associated with the prior art flashlights and/or lanterns. As previously mentioned, the '430 flashlight offered other potential uses for its secondary downlight, besides the primary function of providing light at the user's feet. Firstly, it can be hand-held in an upright position, such as for close map reading. However, the lighting source—incandescent (krypton) lamp, exhibited all of the problems discussed previously, and thus detracted from any use of this lighting source at very close range.
Hands-free use standing upright on the unit's back end, was intended, e.g., for tire changing. Again, the problems of incandescent lighting at close range detracted from the light's effectiveness for tasks such as tire-changing, household repairs, etc. Even worse, the small “footprint” of the unit's base was only stable on relatively flat, horizontal surfaces not always available at roadsides for tire-changing, or other tasks.